Galvanizing-machine.



M. W. TROUT.

GALVANIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAILQ, 1913.

1,107,464. Patented Aug. 18, 1914,

2 SHBETS-BHBET 1.

('Jwvudoz 3 ......!::i5s 4 1 attotwua-a M. W. TROUT.

GALVANIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION EILED JAN. 9, 1913.

1,107,464, Patented Aug.18, 1914 2 SKEBTFBHEE! i.

Q 3 vwmato'o wi imeooao MILES W. TROUT, OF YOUNGWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

GALVANIZING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 118, 19114.

Application filed January 9, 1913. Serial No. 741,049.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILES W. TROUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Y oungwood, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Galvanizing-lifachines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will entheir parts .galvanized or soldered together.

This and other objects are carried out by constructing the machine in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of this machine complete; Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof with the upper apron omitted, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. t is a cross section and Fig. 5 a fragmentary longitudinal section through the main chain. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of one of the links of said chain, and Fig. 7 a perspective detail of one of the plates thereof, mounted on two links. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of one of the plates of the upper chain.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the main tank suitably supported on a framework 2 of any approved construction, and the top of this tank is open while its ends are inclined and rather long. The tank is heated by any suitable means, the drawings illustrating a pair of perforated gas pipes or burners 3 fed by pipes 4 leading from the gas main 5, but I do not wish to be limited in this respect. On suitable guide rollers 6 mounted in the framework 2 beneath said tank travels an endless belt 7 the center of whose lower stretch is permitted to sag between the lowest rollers 6 so that it may dip into a grease pan 8 which latter is by preference supported on legs 9 so that it is capable of being withdrawn from within the framework 2. The upper stretch of this belt or apron 7 hangs between the endmost rollers 6 and 6 and its weight together with that of the articles thereon causes it to dip into the liquid within the main tank 1; This apron is moved in the direction indicated by the arrows by any suitable means, such as a chain belt 10 connecting a sprocket 11 on the extremity of the roller 6" with a similar sprocket 12 having a bevel gear 13 on its shaft, said gear meshing with another bevel gear 1a on a main shaft 15 supported in suitable overhead bearings. It follows that when the articles A; to be galvanized are fed into the inlet end of the machine, which is the right hand of Fig. 1, they fall on the main belt or apron 7 and are moved along through the tank 1 in the direction of the arrow and delivered out the rear end thereof. For cooling the articles thus galvanized I provide a water tank 20 suitably supported beneath and be yond the rear end of the main tank and fed with cool water by any suitable means such as an inlet pipe 21, a suitable outlet or open flow pipe 22 being also provided; and the articles A delivered from the rear end of the endless belt or apron 7 drop onto a chute or guide 23 and fall into this tank. WVit-hin the latter is an endless belt or apron 24 moving over a forward roller 25 mounted in suitable bearings within the tank and a rearward roller 26 by preference mounted in suitable bearings above its rear end, one roller being driven by a chain belt connection 27 with the shaft 28 of the roller 6 which in turn has the sprocket 11 driven by the chain belt 10. Therefore the galvanized articles dropped into this tank by the chute 23 will fall on the apron 2t and by it be moved slowly to the rear through the cooling water and delivered out of this tank onto a suitable table or other receiver not shown.

It is well known to those familiar with this art that small articles while being coated by galvanic process are quite liable to in bearings at the lower ends of hangers 30 depending from an overhead support are intermediate rollers 31 and end rollers 32, the latter disposed closer to each other than are the end rollers 6" and6' of the main apron. Said end rollers have sprocket gears 33 on one end of their shafts which may well be driven by suitable belt connection with the main shaft 15 as described above and need not therefore be reiterated; and

leading over all these rollers is a turning belt or apron 37 whose upper stretch stands substantially flat where it extends over the series of rollers and whose lower stretch sags into the main tank 1 and rests normally upon the main belt or apron 7 This apron 37 is by preference driven in a reverse direction to that followed by the main apron, and furthermore it is by preference geared so that it moves more rapidly. The result of this detail of structure will 'be that articles A fed into the inlet end' of the machine will pass down the upperstretch of the main apron 7 until they encounterthe lower stretch of the turning apron 37 by which they will be tumbled over and over as the main apron carries them along through the machine and drops them into the water tank in the manner above described-hence they will be prevented from becoming galvanized or soldered together or to either of the aprons or belts.

The details of construction of the main apron are best shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. It is by preference made up of two link chains, whereof each link 40 is constructed about as shown in Fig. 6, the links in each chain being pivotally connected with each other as at 41 by rods which extend from one chain across to the other and may well also serve as the pivot for the meeting links of the opposite chain whereby a link in one chain will be caused to stand always opposite the corresponding link in the other chain. Superimposed upon each pair of opposite links is a plate 42 having its two ends 43 upturned to prevent the articles from falling off the sides of the chain, and the front edge 44 of this plate overlaps the rear edge of the next plate as seen in Fig. 5 to prevent the articles falling through the chain or becoming caught between the plates thereof. The belt or apron 37 which turns the articles while they rest upon the main apron 7 may well be constructed in a similar manner, excepting that I would have the pl ates 44 omit the end pieces as seen in Fig. 8, and perhaps make said plates a little shorter than those numbered 44 so that they may pass down between the end pieces 43 of the latter. Thus it will be seen that the only points where the several members of each chain contact movably with each other are where the ends of each rod 41 enter the eyes 45 in the ends of the links 40, and at these points galvanization or soldering must not take place because it would destroy the flexibility of the chain. There is no such contingency within the water tank. I avoid danger of this contingency with respect to the main apron 7, by dipping it into the grease pan 8 and by keeping it constantly warm where it passes over the burners 3. The lower stretch of the turning apron where it dips in the galvanizing fluid moves faster than the upper stretch of the main.

apron and in the opposite direction, and in its travel over the articles A and during its work in turning them, this stretch is constantly being manipulated so that there is little danger that galvanization or soldering will take place in this apron or the links of its chains. However, I prefer to dispose grease pans 48 under its endmost supporting rollers 32 and 33, and the grease taken up by said rollers is constantly communicated to the apron itself.

It is not necessary to amplify the materials and dimensions of parts, and the pr0cess of galvanization is too well known to need repetition here.

What is claimed as new is:

1. An endless apron for galvanizing machines comprising two endless chains whose links stand opposite each other and cross rods pivotally connecting the links of the chains, and a transverse plate secured upon the outer side of each pair of oppositely disposed links and having its ends outturned and its forward edge overlapping the rearward edge of the plate in advance.

2. In a galvanizing machine, the combination with a main tank and an endless apron made up of endless metallic chains whose links are pivotally connected with each other,,and plates overlying said links and having their ends upturned, the front edge of each plate overlapping the rear edge of the next, and means for moving said apron through the tank.

3. In a galvanizing machine, the combination with a main tank and an endless apron made up of endless metallic chains whose links are pivotally connected with each other, and plates overlying said links and having their ends upturned in a plane at right angles to the body of the plates,

the free edge of each plate overlapping the and passing through said tank, a turning In testimony whereof I have hereunto set apron mounted to position its lower stretch my hand 1n presence of two subscribing witwithin said tank and in contact with the nesses.

upper stretch of said first mentioned apron, MILES W. TROUT. and means for moving the cooperating Witnesses: reaches of said aprons in opposite direc- CHARLES WRIGHT,

tions and at different speeds, B. F. MILLER. 

